UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DE LA SANTÍSIMA CONCEPCIÓNFACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN

PEDAGOGÍA EN EDUCACIÓN MEDIA EN INGLÉS

“COURSEBOOK EVALUATION”

Course: English Methodology IITeacher: Roxanna CorreaStudent name: José Miguel Casanueva

Camila CuevasGary Torres

Concepción, October 28th, 2013

Factual details

Title: Texto para el Estudiante. Global English.

Author (s): Jolanta Polk Reyes

Publisher: Ediciones Calycanto/ Ministerio de Educación Price:

ISBN: 1-8446-918-1 No. of pages: 153 pages

Components: Student’s Book/Teacher’s Book/ Audio CDs

Level: High School

Length: 1 year Units: 6 units Lesson/section: 4 Lessons.

Target skills: Reading, listening, speaking & writing.

Target learner: High School.

Assessment: (* Poor ** Fair ***Good ****Excellent)

Rationale: Pre-communicative activities: mostly structural activities.

Availability: It is provided by the Chilean Ministry of Education.

Layout/ graphics: The organization of the coursebook is organized in two parts, which is Click on 1a

and Click on 1b. First of all, each unit starts with specific vocabulary items, and then moves to

grammar, communication activities, listening activities, reading and writing exercises. The

coursebook has attractive images, and each activity has an example to follow.

Selection/grading: The coursebook starts with a basic level of English, and it goes up to a higher and

challenging level of proficiency.

Authenticity:

1° Dialogue

Discourse feature Textbook data

Lexical density 94 78.33%

Repetition 0 0%

Back-channels 4 3.33%

2° Dialogue

Discourse feature Textbook data

Lexical density 118 79.72%

Repetition 0 0%

Back-channels 6 4.05%

Cultural bias: British & American oriented.

Stimulus: Throughout the coursebook there are plenty of activities focus primarily on grammar;

however, the textbook does not provide enough speaking or reading activities for the students so as

to use the language. At the end of each book there is review which emphasizes mainly grammar

features with its corresponding exercises. Finally there is a list that contains irregular verbs, and

likewise tests in order to assess the student’s progress per unit.

Flexibility: It would not be possible to move from one unit to the other, because the book is

designed from a basic to upper level, there are some units which ask students to use the knowledge

they already have learnt from previous topics.

3° Dialogue

Discourse feature Textbook data

Lexical density 67 64.42%

Repetition 0 0%

Back-channels 2 1.92%

ThreeReading

5: It is perfect so Ss can have the chance to give their opinions

7: It is a bit complicated and Ss may have problems understanding instructions.

1: Express their predictions orally.

Mobile and speakers.

.

3: Choose artists that Ss may like and use updated images of them.6: Ss have the

opportunity to practice their writing while answering questions.10: It is easy to follow and it has updated and

4: Predictions of the text based on the images.

Lesson Select Reject Adapt Supplement

OneReading

3: It will help Ss to establish a relation between the two languages; hence, it will create a safe atmosphere for them.

2: very similar to n°8 and it is too open.

4: Add an image to the name of each game, since it will help Ss remember.

Images of games.

6: not very engaging.

7: The level of complexity of this activity is high and it takes a lot of time.1: It is a simple activity and it

is contextualized to their reality. 9: Instead of

asking for help to complete the second sentence, Ss need to create a new sentence using the verb given.

10: It does not have clues or any guidance.

5: It is an activity Ss enjoy performing while reading because they are asked to identify certain assertions and it is easy to assess.

12: Very similar to activity n°4.

8: It gives Ss the opportunity to express their opinions and get to know their partner. T can observe them working.

11: It helps Ss put into practice their knowledge and it has a competitive aspect Ss enjoy.

contextualised topic. 8: Ss work in pairs and discuss their answers.

11: Questions are well prepared and give the freedom Ss need to create a good discussion.

9: Instead of using a CD / cassette player, use a mobile phone and some speakers.

TwoListening

1: it is a good idea asking for their predictions so they can express and relax themselves.

3: It is not particularly entertaining or engaging.

2: Update image and changes the adjective used in the classification.

4: Same as act. N°3.10: The activity if too long to be used for this lesson.

6: Put the sentences on a chart and the names of the two girls, so that Ss have to choose instead of writing their names (it takes less time).

5: Is Ss make predictions it is very important to check them. 11: The activity is not

appropriate for the level of the Ss since it requires a lot of time.7: True or false activities

are very useful to check understanding.

8: Use the same expressions but make Ss take roles.

9: It is a very simple activity and the images are appropriate.

Four Listening

2: It gives Ss the opportunity to express their opinions with the whole class.

1: The question is too open and the objective is not very clear.

4: Increase the number of films and use updates images from films that are more meaningful for them.5: Instructions are not very

clear.10: It is very similar to previous activities.

13: Perform the same task but working in pairs.

3: Use Ss predictions to get them engaged.

12: The length of the lesson does not allow this activity.

6: Check their predictions.

14: The activity is too long for the lesson.

7: Using a chart it is a good option for a listening lesson.

15: The activity is not appropriate for the lesson

content.6: The films are well chosen and so are the images. The activity helps Ss synthetize the ideas they are listening to.

9: True or false activities are also good when listening since it is a simple way to check understanding, plus, the extra task of correcting false statements asks them to do an extra effort.11: It has the right amount of complexity for the Ss.

INTERVIEW

1. Do you think coursebooks are important?

Yes, a course book is undoubtly important in every single lesson I prepared for my students. The importance of using a course book lies in the fact that it guides me basically on two things: “what” and “how” to teach, considering the student’s profile from my school.

2. What are your criteria for choosing a coursebook?

It is very difficult to get the right course book because lots of different factors are involved in this never-ending search. When trying to choose the best course book for my students, I think it should include: tips about how to carry out the activities proposed, grammar tips, useful advice on different techniques for engaging students to the aim of the lessons and also tips about how to evaluate students’ performance in different ways. Where I currently work I just have one option (Planes y Programas Inglés para Adultos); it means that all my lessons have to be focused

on what it mandates. However, I always try to supplement that course book with activities taken from the internet or other books that “common students” from secondary schools are currently using since they are constantly updated.

3. Which part(S) of the coursebook do you frequently use and which part(s) do you seldom use?

Considering what I’ve previously explained, I will answer this question thinking of “Planes y Programas Inglés para Adultos”. I seldom use the part in which the modules of the grade are explained in deep, because I read all that part once and it was just enough to understand what they were going to be about. On the other hand, I frequently use the rest of the course book since all the parts of it are very important: the part in which the contents are exposed including vocabulary and grammar, the part in which there are some examples of what and how to carry out a lesson since it guides me on what I should take into consideration at the moment of planning the lessons, etc. However, I’d like to find some tips about how to deal with those classes in which the age range is considerably way broad.

4. When, why and how do you supplement the coursebook?

I do it when I think the course book does not include updated activities: I frequently supplement the part of “planning the lesson” with some other exercises, worksheets, and/or activities taken from the internet or other course book more updated. I generally combine what Planes y Programas has for my students with the updated information from the internet and/or the other course books which contain colorful images, motivating activities and also some guidelines for elaborating a rubric.

5. What kind of help would you like to have from the coursebook in teaching grammar or any other aspects of the language?

I feel the need of getting different, new techniques for teaching grammar because sometimes I think I’m being the teacher I never wanted to be; teaching lessons just focused on grammar rules even when the aim of those lessons have nothing to do with grammar.

References

Cook, V. (2001). Second language learning and language teaching (3rd. Ed.). New York: Oxford University

Press, Inc.

Oxford, R. (1990). Language learning strategies: what every teacher should know. Boston: Heinle&Heinle.